Day 36 & 37 More Fort Worth Fun, and Hugs and Goodbyes

Our 38 day tour wouldn't be complete without a fine meal to celebrate our Waltz Across Texas.  Adventure Caravans had arranged for lunch at the Chop House in Fort Worth, and we were all looking forward to it.  

As our bus approached the corner, several of us noticed the Chop House sign
right on the corner of the building. The white lights and prominent awning made
this building noticeable from the curb side of the bus. 

Just a second later, those of us in the back of the bus could see a slow motion disaster about to occur.
Turning the corner on narrow streets with no curb proved to be challenging on this busy day.  Most fortunately, no one was injured by shattered glass, though Carole found thousands of tiny pieces in her clothing and hair. Yes, we were startled -- but everyone calmly exited the bus.  We were right at the Chop House entrance, so getting to some liquid refreshment was easy---thanks, Adventure Caravans! 

So our good bye luncheon started with stories of "where were you on the bus" and continued to tales of our 38 wonderful days in Texas --- floods and all!   Prayer and kind words were shared.  And Ron and Phyllis celebrated the fact that on their next tour, they will "not be the newbies anymore"!   But lunch is not the end of our tour -- we have a rodeo to see!  

The afternoon parade begins at the Fort Worth Stockyards. 

The famous Fort Worth Longhorn Cattle Drive --- everyday! 

Give folks a little time in the Fort Worth Stockyards Station, and they all come back
with a new cowboy hat!  Carole and Ron look great!

Sporting their new cowboy hats at the rodeo, are Norma & Guy, Suanne , and Jane. 

Finally the rodeo begins with the rider and the colors.  The crowd showed its patriotism by joining the singing of "I'm Proud to Be an American." 

And then the bulls began to buck! Cowboys from several nations gave it their best,
and a few managed to ride the bull the full 8 seconds.  

In the calf roping competition, these patriotic cowhands were quick to release 
the frustrated young animal
who  pounced out the gate pretty quickly.

A new cowboy hat was not enough for Suanne -- her smile glows almost as much as
her rodeo glow -in-the-dark necklace! A very fun evening at the rodeo! Shine on, Suanne!

Hugs and Goodbyes begin with pancakes, fruit, yogurt and granola --- followed by lingering conversations, plans for "the next trip", and promises to stay in touch.

Thanks for joining the Adventure Caravans staff and guests on this wonderful Waltz Across Texas 2015 guided RV tour.  Wagonmasters Stu and Susan Flood and Tailgunners Rick and Sharon Gilbert invite you to consider Adventure Caravans for your next RV vacation.  Where is your next adventure?! 

Day 35, 36 & 37 Dallas & Fort Worth

The rains continued, but we made our own sunshine!  Our bus took us to the United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing at Fort Worth, and, funny thing, they don't allow any photos on the property. You'll just have to take our word for it --- it was a good tour, and we saw LOTS and LOTS of money! 

Watching money being made worked up a serious appetite, so it's a good thing our tour of Horse Country USA included lunch at Lucy's Mom's --- good home grown food in farm size portions, and a generous piece of chocolate cake!  

This photographer was too busy eating chocolate cake to take more photos --- sorry!  

Winterhaven Ranch, in Horse Country USA (near Aubrey,Texas) welcomed us for a tour, 
but the fields and arenas were too wet for horses and people. 

Most of the horses were nice and dry in their very clean stalls. 

The ponies didn't mind having an audience for their little walk in the barn. 

Somehow, after our visit to the gift shop, this chicken found a seat on the bus. 

The rains continued at the Texas Motor Speedway.  We liked the suite that gave us a great view of the track, but getting in the cars is what we really came for.  

We looked at the older Nascar vehicles that are now used for driver training. 

But it was clear that one of NASCAR's most enthusiastic fans was pretty worried  ---
would we get out on the track?

Nice pace car!  Can we take it for a spin? 

YES! The rain finally let up a bit, and a ride in the pace car became the highlight of the day!  Stu's happy!

Here's the view of Texas Motor Speedway - turn two - from inside the pace car. Pretty dang cool!

Ron and Rick wave to their fans after walking down the many steps of the Water Gardens --
"a cooling oasis in the concrete jungle" of downtown Fort Worth.  

Ron and Rick are not waving goodbye --- our tour in Fort Worth continues with more fun, and the unexpected!  

Days 31, 32, 33, & 34 May 9-12 Dallas, Fort Worth, Grapevine …….. and Arlington!

We arrived in Grapevine, Tx  on Saturday, but cancelled our walking tour of historic downtown Grapevine because the weather seemed to be threatening.  It had not rained much during our driving time, but the rains were impressive at night.  And while other nearby areas had experienced dangerous winds and storms, we had been spared.  And then the waters at our Vineyard Campground Lake began to rise. 

We continued our tour with a Sunday morning breakfast at the Southfork Ranch, home of the TV series "Dallas". 

This is what happens when you take a Silly Guy to breakfast at  Southfork.

JR was so impressed that we came to his ranch on such a rainy day. 

Since it was too wet to walk on the grounds,
we just had to visit Bobby Ewing's bedroom. 

Then we drove through the campus of Southern Methodist University and
toured the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

The beautiful sculptures of the Pioneer Cattle Drive. 

At the ATT Stadium, we felt right at home in Jerry Jones' game day box.
He also has a private elevator  to the box and to the tunnel system. 

And what trip to the home of the Dallas Cowboys would be complete without a visit to the locker room
of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.  Sorry, guys, it must have been their day off! 

Then, sports fans, we visited the home of the Texas Rangers.
This view is from the press box, while the groundskeepers prepare the field. 

In the tunnel under the stadium, our Adventure Caravan fans found a photo op.

But while we were out having fun, Tex was watching the water rise at the Grapevine Vineyards RV park.
In the water, you can see a picnic pavilion, a barbecue grill, a  picnic table and an electric hookup box.  We knew it was time to leave…and hoped to find another RV park.

Our wagon masters and tailgunners were happy to find
that the Dallas /Arlington KOA had enough spaces and much drier land.
A moving day pancake breakfast got us up and moving,
departing and relocating our caravan  by early afternoon. 

Day 30 May 8 Abilene bound!

The drive to Abilene was thankfully uneventful.  One en route stop was the the Petroleum Museum.  

Functioning oil wells graced the front lawn of the museum. 

This derrick inside the museum made clear that many of the objects we use every day
are made from petroleum.

The campground at Abilene welcomed us with orange juice and a tray of yummy cookies.  Later we learned that we could even order a steak and shrimp dinner to be delivered to our camp site  ---- this caravan just gets better and better!  

Marathon, Texas ---- there's more!

Our visit to Marathon and the Big Bend area of Texas continued with a visit to the Big Bend Museum on the campus of Sol Ross University in Alpine, Texas, a short drive from our campground. 

Rose and Tex admire a replica of a carreta, the first wheeled vehicle to enter
what is now  the United States, in 1590.

Tex decided that he should experience the ride of a first class, beautifully made-in-Texas saddle.  He's still  trying to round up the $14,000 needed to buy such a saddle. 

Our view as our bus neared the McDonald Observatory, built in the 1930s,
to study everything from asteroids and planets n our solar system.

After a presentation about the sun, our guide took us to  view one of the huge telescopes.
The  observatory is  part of the Dept. of Astronomy at University of Texas at Austin. 

Jane is at the controls, positioning the telescope with a simple toggle .

Then we were off to the Fort Davis Drug Store for lunch…a really good lunch
and lots of interesting shopping.

But what was all the interest in the restrooms?
The decor was a one-of-a-kind and this sink was the focal point!

Viola was good natured when the broom-maker continued to hit on her. 

Fortunately, his brooms were better than his pick-up lines. 

With such a beautiful setting at our Marathon campground,
it was time for a social hour…or two!

Len and Ron give pie-iron fruit pies a try…and another try…and another! 

Tailgunner Rick helps Hollis create his pie iron pizza. 

The evening did not end with the margaritas and pie iron treats.  When the sky became dark, we learned why Marathon is one of the best sky-gazing locations in North America.  Danny, our campground owner, shared his telescopes and knowledge of the night sky with all who could stay up past dark.  Seeing the four moons of Jupiter was the highlight of our night-time adventure.  And though there was much more to see, we all knew that we would have an early wake up for the 300 mile trek to Abilene the next day. 

Day 26, 27, 28 & 29 April 4 - 7 Marathon, Texas

The drive from Del Rio to Marathon, Texas took our Adventure Caravan about 170 miles through sparsely populated desert land and increased from an elevation of 1120' to 4100' above sea level.  

An optional enroute side trip, the very small town of Langtry was once the home of the eccentric saloon-keeper and justice of the peace, Judge Roy Bean.  His reputation claims that he held court in his saloon and was quick to hang the accused.  

The Judge Roy Bean visitor center includes a large cactus garden, with many varieties of cactus. 

Danny and Mindy, campground owners in Marathon, hosted a welcome party
in their beautiful shaded courtyard. 

The RV view en route to Big Bend National Park. 

Darren, our guide for Big Bend National Park and Terlingua, shared his considerable knowledge of Big Bend geology and plant life, and told stories of his animal encounters within the park.  

Our lunch view from Chisos Mountain Lodge at Bib Bend N.P. 

Our day would not have been complete without the chance to dip our toes
into the famous Rio Grand River.  At the mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon, the river is narrow enough that we could toss a stone into Mexico.

The dusty desert town of Terlingua is reported to be a ghost town today,
but we found drinks and dinner at the Starlight Theatre bar and restaurant.